Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand listen the national anthem during the opening of the summit on Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking at Department of Justice in Washington on Feb. 2, 2018. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

No. 3 Justice Department official stepping down amid turmoil

Rachel Brand had the potential to have a key role in the Trump-Russia investigation.

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department’s No. 3 official is planning to step down at a time of turmoil in the agency.

A friend of Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand told The Associated Press she is stepping down for a private sector job. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the move ahead of an official announcement expected next week.

The friend says Brand accepted a job at a large corporation but would provide specifics. The New York Times first reported her departure.

Brand attracted interest because of her potential to assume a key role in the Trump-Russia investigation. The official overseeing special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, Rod Rosenstein, has been repeatedly criticized by President Donald Trump. If Rosenstein had been fired or quit, oversight would have fallen to Brand.